Keto rhubarb crisp with a truly crispy topping. This wonderful sugar-free dessert is delicious paired with low carb ice cream or whipped cream.
Most keto fruit crisp recipes suffer from the same common problem: they aren’t actually crisp at all. The topping is too soft and sometimes a little bit soggy.
But what if I told you that this rhubarb crisp recipe is the real deal, with a sweet-tart rhubarb filling and a truly crispy sugar-free, grain-free topping?
How did I do it? Oh, I have my ways and means. And I am more than happy to share my secrets!
Rhubarb crisp is the best!
I first posted this recipe back in 2014, and I decided to give it a bit of an update. It’s just as delicious as it ever was, but now it’s even lower in carbs AND you can have a bigger portion.
The truth is that I am a rhubarb fanatic. I love that tart, bright red stalky vegetable. And yes, it is a vegetable, although people tend to treat it as a fruit. It’s incredibly tart on its own, but cook it down with some sweetener, and it has this incredible and unique flavor.
I have a number of delicious keto rhubarb recipes, such as my rhubarb scones, keto strawberry rhubarb sauce, and rhubarb coffee cake.
But rhubarb crisp has a very special place in my heart. When I was growing up my mother made a to-die-for rhubarb crisp that was one of my childhood favourites. The topping was rich and buttery, with plenty of brown sugar. It’s been my dream to make a keto-friendly rhubarb crisp that could even come close to hers.
And I think I’ve actually done it. Hooray!
How to make keto rhubarb crisp
Fruit crisps are one of my favorite desserts so it was pretty important to me to make a good one. But getting the topping to be truly crisp is tricky.
Almond flour and other low carb ingredients have quite a bit of moisture. They also tend to absorb a lot of moisture when subjected to other ingredients with a high water content. That’s why most keto fruit crisps tend to be soggy.
The solution is actually ridiculously simple
Bake the topping separately from the filling.
It may be unconventional, but trust me, it’s the only way to make a keto crisp. When it finally occurred to me, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it before.
My keto Cinnamon Crunch Cereal was the tip off for me. It crisps up so perfectly and tastes reminiscent of an oatmeal cookie, and that’s when I realized it would be the perfect topping for a fruit crisp.
More tips for keto rhubarb crisp
A few extra tips for getting the perfect rhubarb crisp recipe:
- Choose the reddest stalks of rhubarb that you can find, as they will produce that gorgeous deep pink color. The green rhubarb tastes exactly the same, though!
- Erythritol based sweeteners are a must. No other sweetener will crisp up properly, especially BochaSweet and allulose. So if you want a truly crisp topping, I recommend Swerve.
- If you don’t like coconut, feel free to replace that with additional almond flour (in the same amount).
- Really press down that topping firmly before baking. This is what helps get it truly crisp.
- Also know that it won’t seem crisp right out of the oven. But it will continue to crisp up as it cools. As long as you pressed it quite thin and the edges are golden, you should be good.
- Rhubarb is quite juicy when cooked, so use glucomannan to thicken the filling. I prefer this over xanthan gum as it mixes in more easily and doesn’t clump up. (And yes, I really do mean 1/4 teaspoon plus another 1/8th teaspoon).
To store the keto crisp:
Cover any leftovers with foil or plastic wrap. You can store on the counter for two days, or in the fridge for about 5.
The topping will become less crisp as it sits, which happens with any fruit crisp recipe. You could simply keep the filling and topping separate, and only combine them when serving, if you wish.
How to serve keto fruit crisp:
Do yourself a big favor and make some of my keto vanilla ice cream to top the rhubarb crisp. IT IS MAGICAL!
A little whipped cream is nice too, though. I’ve even eaten it for breakfast with a little heavy cream poured overtop.
Ready to enjoy this delicious keto crisp recipe?
Keto Rhubarb Crisp
Ingredients
Crisp Topping:
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup Swerve Brown
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 5 tbsp butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
Rhubarb Filling:
- 2 pounds chopped rhubarb
- 1/3 cup powdered Swerve, (more if you like it sweeter)
- 1/4 + 1/8 tsp glucomannan
Instructions
Crisp Topping
- Preheat the oven to 300F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, combine the almond flour, shredded coconut, chopped pecans, sweetener, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. Sprinkle with the butter pieces and then process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet and cover with another piece of parchment. Use a rolling pin or your hands to press down firmly so that the mixture sticks together. Remove the top sheet of paper.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove and let cool completely - the mixture will continue to crisp up as it cools.
Rhubarb Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Spread the rhubarb in a 9x13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish and sprinkle with the sweetener and glucomannan. Toss to combine.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and rhubarb is tender.
- Remove the filling from oven and remove foil. Break the cooled topping into pieces with your hand and place over filling to cover completely. Serve warm, topped with whipped cream or keto vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition
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This is great—I’m in the middle of making it. The topping smells and TASTES so good.
I love your recipes so much. This is my favorite recipe blog in the universe.
Thanks, Katy!
I’m also a rhubarb huge fan-thanks for your recipe!
I’m not overly keen on coconut. Do you think the shredded coconut could be omitted or substituted?
Thanks
Jo
Try using more almond meal in the same amount. It won’t have quite the same texture but should be good.
Hi Carolyn,
I’m not sure if it’s just me but the link to the recipe that you have provided takes me to http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.
Could you kindly take a look at the same?
Thank you! : ) And that looks absolutely delicious!
Huh, that’s odd. When I click on the link, it goes straight to Live Better America. They are both owned by General Mills. But here is the direct link to the recipe on LBA. http://www.livebetteramerica.com/health-nutrition/celiac-food-sensitivities/gluten-free-sugar-smart-rhubarb-crisp
Thank you very much! I truly appreciate it. : )
Hello – the second link still does not work either for some reason. It just goes straight to the Betty Crocker home page.
I think it must a be a browser issue. What one are you using? on Safari, it goes directly to my recipe.
Nevermind, looks like the whole site is gone now, but I’ve added the recipe to my blog!
Hi guys,
Yes, it seems to be some issue with Chrome alone. It worked for me on Safari.
Thank you for posting the recipe, Carolyn! : )
This recipe is a winner! Even the crabby diabetic in my family thought it was great! Only problem….the whole family wants more of this rhubarb crisp, and it does take time (and lots of rhubarb!). Thanks for another great recipe.
Wow! I just made this and ate a piece for breakfast. I’ve always thought that rhubarb was only good paired with strawberries. It was all I could do to bake this just the way it was written. You have gained my trust over many months and recipes, so I made it as-is. I’m a convert. Strawberries were not only not necessary, but would have confused the ridiculously flavorful dish. Thanks again for a stellar recipe.
YAYAYAY! It makes me so happy to hear that. Rhubarb really has its own special thing going on.
Not sure I understand your ****** with the explanation of the carb count?
It’s simply to mark the notation and clarify that LBA has to count all carbs, including fiber and erythritol.
it looks delicious!
I love rhubarb crisp! This looks amazing!
My strawberry rhubarb crisp disappeared so fast! I made it with a gluten-free granola topping and it was delicious. Yours looks gorgeous.
Yours sounds wonderful too!
100% deliceous looking!
Love how you used chia seeds to thicken the filling and baked the topping separately for that real crisp texture!
Um HELLO YUMMY! My hubby is obsessed with all things crisp and rhubarb, so this is going to give me “best wife ever status!” 😀 Pinned!
I’ve got rhubarb in the freezer – score! pinning!
Yes is all I can say! A crisp with rhubarb is the best thing ever!!
Hi Carolyn, I have a dumb question. When you state butter in your recipes, is it unsalted butter? Can’t wait to try this recipe and I love, love your blog! It is my hands down favorite!!
Well, I am weird and typically like to use salted butter, even when adding a little extra salt. But it would be fine with unsalted too.
Hi,Can I skip the glucoman?
You can but your sauce will be a bit watery.
if i want to use xanthan gum instead would it be 1:1 with the glucoman
Yes, it should be.
Carolyn this looks insanely good, I love almond flour and I know I’d prefer it to a boring white flour topping!
Hey Miss C. – Would chia flour work as a sub for flax in the topping and still retain its crunchiness? (1/2 the amount I suppose). (Flax intolerant).
Not sure, in this case, because chia attracts so much moisture. You could try half almond flour and half shredded coconut for the flax.
Carolyn, this looks amazing! I sure could use a helping of it today!
So i put all the ingredients for the crisp part exactly and im tellin you preheated at 300f that crisp was beginning to burn at the 5 minute mark. How is it supposed to go for 25minutes at 300f?
A few thoughts: your oven runs hot. I know mine does not because I have an oven thermometer in my oven that tells me the exact temperature, regardless of what the display says. Another issue may be a flimsy pan that conducts heat unevenly, and depending on how thinly you pressed this, it may have gotten cooked a lot faster. If you did yours on parchment, rather than a silicone mat, that also might cause it to brown faster.
Finally… did you use all the specified ingredients or did you use different brands/sweeteners?
Add me to the list of rhubarb fanatics! Your crisp looks divine!!!!